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What can you tell us about your new release, Wolf Hollow?

It’s a steamy paranormal shifter romance set in a Mad Max kind of world. The hollow is more of an oasis away from the violence and despair but humans from the fallen world are a continual threat to the life wolf shifters have built away from the crumbling cities. Like any community, the shifters of Wolf Hollow have to deal with politics and a pecking order based on age and bloodlines. And they’re faced with issues like bigotry, bias, and hypocrisy. This presents a problem for Sasha, a pureblooded wolf shifter who descends from a long line of shifters who have always lived in the wild, and Tabor, the hollow’s first half-wizard, half-wolf. The pack is extremely mistrustful of magic which leaves Tabor feeling isolated, especially after his mother’s death. He thinks Sasha shares the beliefs of her packmates but soon learns that he’s wrong. She’s not only strong, and quick-witted, she’s also progressive and unafraid.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

From the time I could hold a pen I was writing. It was more of an obsession than inspiration. The need to escape the real world and, as a big-time introvert growing up, create my own community. Some of my early influences were Diana Wynne Jones, L.M. Montgomery, and Jane Austen. My mom spurred me on at an early age by finding fun books and hiding them beneath my pillow whenever she had to go out of town for work.

Which books would we be surprised to find on your shelves?

“Personal Finance for Dummies” by Eric Tyson, MBA. My brain shuts off anytime the subject turns to budgeting or math. Unfortunately, just because it’s on my shelf doesn’t mean I’ve read it.

You're hosting a literary dinner party. Which three writers are invited?

J.K. Rowling, Sarah J. Maas, and George R. R. Martin. The only problem is I’d be so awe-struck I wouldn’t be able to talk.

What's a typical day like for you?

I’m up around 6 a.m. to get in a little early morning reading, stretching, and ten-minute meditation before breakfast. From about 8-11:30 a.m. I write then force myself onto the elliptical or take a speed walk around the neighborhood. After preparing and eating lunch, I take my dog, Cosmo, out for a walk at the park. Late afternoons are spent answering emails and messages, checking into social media, and working on administrative tasks. After making and eating dinner, I either read, watch a show with my husband, or work on completing more items from my “To Do” list… And way too much time wondering where the day went.

If you could invent anything, what would it be?

Teleportation technology! Imagine being able to meet up for lunch, dinner, or just because, with friends and loved ones who live across the country or globe. How wonderful would that be? And imagine the opportunity for face-to-face meetings with clients or vendors. It would be a game changer—and so uber cool!

What scene in Wolf Hollow was your favorite to write?

The masked mating dance during the full moon ceremony was one of my favorite scenes to write. Sasha is angry at the council for pushing her to dance (and mate) with Hector, a pureblooded male from a visiting pack, and Tabor is sitting in the audience sullen because he thinks he can’t have Sasha. Without giving too much away, they end up dancing together by the blaze of the bonfire. Tabor has no idea he’s with Sasha. They sneak off together, and it was so much fun to capture Tabor’s shock when he realizes who he’s with.

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

“You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.” – Tagore

Nikki Jefford is the author of the new book Wolf Hollow. 

Connect with Nikki:
Author Website

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By Penelope Bloom

With the release of my latest book, Savage, I thought it was a fitting time to dive into the biggest challenge I face as an author. Those of you who follow my books probably know I release a new book just about every month, give or take a week. The hardest part about that isn't hitting my word count every day, believe it or not. It's trying to keep my writing fresh, and not just for my readers!

With Savage, I wanted to break away a little bit from a pattern I had found myself falling into with my past few books. I'd really dug deep into the world of BDSM and instant lust type relationships. That exploration started with Knocked Up by the Dom and lasted all the way through to The Dom's Bride, but when I sat down to write Savage, I knew I needed a change of pace.

This time, I set out to challenge myself to write something out of my comfort zone, and I'm so glad I did. Again, if you follow my books, you know that while my heroes are rough around the edges and often foul-mouthed and dirty as sin, you don't have to dig too deep to find the good guy in them. Sometimes I even just let them be charming right out of the gate. This time I wanted a leading man who was worthy of the name "Savage." I didn't want to just make his problems superficial and easy to sweep out of the way when it was time for some steamy scenes.

That was my main goal when I started the book. I knew this was going to be a totally new relationship dynamic for me to write, but I didn't expect how much it would impact the course of the book in surprising and fun ways. I found myself up at night thinking about how I was possibly going to write a story where it made sense for these two people who kept butting heads to get together. Every time I sat down to write it was kind of this feeling of dread where I'd think, "Oh no... How much deeper is Chris going to dig himself today?"

It was so fun, to put it simply. I think the story that came out of it was a challenge for me to write, but it was so rewarding and now has a very, very special place in my heart among all the books I've written.

I hope you'll decide to check out my new book, and I also hope you'll continue to follow my future projects and keep watching where new challenges take me and my stories.

XX

Penelope

Penelope Bloom is the author of the new book Savage. 

Connect with Penelope:
Author Page

 Twitter

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